Porsche backflips, confirms future hypercar is in development – UPDATE

UPDATE, 16 December 2022: An insider has confirmed Porsche has been developing batteries for the hypercar for a number of years, though it's not clear at this stage whether the model will be purely-electric or a hybrid.

Speaking exclusively to Drive, a source from Germany confirmed Porsche has been working on advanced battery technology for the hypercar for the past two years – despite issuing a public statement denying the project in July 2021.

While Porsche CEO Oliver Blume spoke this week about the sports-car company working on a new hypercar – following at least 18 months of speculation and unverified media reports – it wasn't clear how long the vehicle had been in development.

The original story continues unchanged below.

13 December 2022: After almost two years of unverified reports, Porsche has come clean about plans for a future halo model.

Porsche CEO Oliver Blume told the UK's Car magazine the company was working on a 918 hypercar successor, but has admitted it won't be coming to market until the second half of this decade.

"The hypercar is always a part of Porsche’s strategy," Mr Blume said.

"Porsche was always successful with this kind of hypercar showing what is possible, showing future technologies, cutting-edge products," he said.

"We will bring a hypercar when it’s time to bring it. So hypercars will play a role for Porsche in the future. But it isn’t decided yet…"

Despite the project not yet being at the sign-off stage, Mr Blume's comments contradicted an earlier denial that such a vehicle was in development.

In July last year, Porsche released a statement – responding to media reports of a hypercar – telling US website Carscoops it was "[confirmed] that there are no plans for any car of this kind".

The reports had originated from comedian and car collector Spike Feresten, who spoke about a new secret Porsche hypercar he said would be launched in late 2021, claiming on his podcast Spike's Car Radio it was possible to put a deposit down on the model.

While a production car never eventuated, in the final weeks of 2021 Porsche did unveil the Vision Gran Turismo (pictured top) – a concept created for a video game, with the vehicle curiously sharing a number of design elements with its 963 LMDh prototype racing car, later revealed in June 2022.

Mr Blume says the brand is focusing on its new range of electric cars for the time being, like the next-generation 718 Boxster and Cayman due mid decade, as well as its SUV line-up.

"We are concentrating on electromobility, we have so many products in the next few years and then we will leverage when will be the right moment to bring it – and when we want to show cutting-edge technology. But the hypercar is always a part of Porsche’s strategy," he added.